over the years here, I’ve learned to keep my expectorations…no, expectations low…like going back to Bodegona and expecting that the same article that I saw yesterday will still be there today…in a way, that’s why I’m bailing (again)on the Bobby D show at the Londoner today (5pm)…that and also I’m trying to get an article tuned/polished for a magazine out this week…the show is great, boffo and superb, btw…

ever notice the Pachamama store on west 5th calle? I think they’re part of the large SF organization that always wants a new airplane for next year, but over the door the sign reads ‘chocolate, tea, etc and love’….so I go in and ask for some ‘love’ to go…not much, a pound or so…they show me the door..hasta la vista, idiot..

and the folks from El Salvador are here…40000 expected in Antigua alone!…gotta love our roads, eh? what roads? yesterday, the dudes in the red berets aka Kaibiles were watching over the central park….either that or watching the last of the known perverts…yeah, him…amazing chutzpah..

and yes, the nightly assault on cars in the street…in my case, 5th Avenida south….broken windows, glass in the street..BMW! break my windows….a good thing it’s well lighted, eh? where are the police? o, that’s right…we don’t have any..at least, in the morning as I walk north, there’s the heavenly scent of fresh bakery goods at San Martin..and no, its not true that a new woman’s shelter has opened…aka Tempura House…’lightly battered.’ speaking of health, sort of…is my observation that many people who patronize ‘health food’ stores are in bad health or do they just look that way? kind of a chicken/egg conundrum...

I’ve been told that the word avocado is a derivitive of the Nahuatl word ‘aguacate’ which actually means ‘scrotum’ in that language…pass the guacamole, eh?

tomorrow night, yet again a repeat performance of Bobby Darling’s smash performance of last Sunday…where? the Londoner, mid-block 6th avenida sur…5pm…get there early for eats and a seat…it fills up!

and can someone, anyone, tell me the significance of the different plaids worn by the girls in the local catholic schools…just doesn’t seem very spanish/latin to me…and is anyone taking down the new flag in the central park at night? doesn’t look like it, but it is Guatemala, after all.

And yes, the Muni has employed a quaint little electric car for imposing/enforcing the no-parking zones..it has the siren and the wheel clamps + the ‘gotcha forms.’…@ $30 a pop, that stings…they seem to avoid the more expensive cars and lock up the poorer varieties… and yes, this is a bit light on content…’sorry..been up early working on new stuff….tomorrow, 5pm…be there..

I seem to have misplaced or lost it somewhere…so, no gruntle for me…I did, however, find the answer to a question. Observation tells me that there’s a variety of sizes with Guatemalan women, specifically uh…how to say this tastefully…’as seen from the rear’ does that work? So after asking the question to a few folks and not getting any definitive answer..its simple: there’s a manufacturer of ‘plus size jeans’ in the City…in different silhouettes…’Queen size’ and so on…don’t think this needs to go any further.

Ever wonder about the Bono 14? nope, it’s not Sonny and Cher’s last album. Salaried workers supposedly get two annual bonuses, however there’s a catch…60% don’t get it…receive it…they ‘get it’ that they’re being hosed….speaking of getting hosed, the ‘new and improved’ park gets it every morning and I read that the City is planting a few specimens of a local tree called ‘esquisuchil’ and the flower is said to be a minor tranquilizer….does one smoke it or what? I’ll get back to you on this, after some field tests.

It was great to walk by Casa Blanca yesterday afternoon and hear Nelson…no, wait..that wasn’t Nelson…he’s acquired a couple of sidekicks….still, good music but of course everyone’s attention was on the TV…I would’ve watched if Iceland was playing Wales but I was in the midst of batch#2 of mango chutney making and my priorities were different…I wonder what this town would be like with a chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence? it’s a San Francisco thing, ok?…fine, I’ll go do the dishes and the day looks sunny and bright…go have fun, as my mom used to tell me.

ah, the official inauguration of the park this morning? packed! suits, kids, chairs and the City finally got the NW fountain working again…’major tip of the best panama to Phil Wilson (EcoFiltro)for getting this done, and also Banco Industrial for putting some major $$$…the park is a jewel and a thing of beauty, easily the most beautiful in Guatemala..

finally figured out what the last sign on the outside of the new ‘Old Tree’ says…’Beauly really is meant to read ‘Beauty’…I think..across from Bodegona..Alice, of New Destiny Travel, got a bit slammed today, over some trips/reservations…not her usual style, as I’ve known her for 6 or 7 years…’hit happens, even to the best of us..

and congrats to the Exit Inn, home of the new Dart’s League trophy…is Spiros absence going to make a difference? cooking, maybe..remains to be seen…and across the way, the Klavern Tavern, so named by the absent Hogan..there’s a few who don’t go there anymore …hey, $ is $ and time is valuable. If I want to get a one-sided lecture, there’s always the AL bench in the morning (which is why I’ve opted out of that one also)

and yes, this domain is up/in place…next stop, the new/oldourmaninantigua site…some rough edges to smooth out, a fresh article underway but progress is..and I see that Travel Menu is again offering ‘Steak Nights’…up against the formidable team at the Londoner…and some people are looking at the old Da Vinci site on 5thCalle…god knows why? another restaurant? please…how about a video poker bar? so? so, what? it’s Fried Day Night! go out and raise a little hell but don’t piss in the streets or break beer bottles, ok?

so, as one can see, the new blog site is still under construction..a few more bugs/features and it should be ready to fly…good thing I’ve learned patience, eh? thanks to Darly Darly for being the first to sign up…she cooks? hmm..I made a killer batch of mango chutney last week, Major Grey style, since that’s not available here..a vital ingredient for indian curry, which I cook sometimes..tomorrow? the official inauguration of the newly-revitalized central park..11 am..and yes, I’m getting the other site, ourmaninantigua, whipped into shape..jeez, the old dog learns new licks?

‘Sure happy its Thursday, one of my favorite acronyms…yeah, I’ll start on tags soon…I’m on ‘cruise’ today…the larger question is how to get rid of that stinkin’ blue logo in the middle of the page…’looks like another query to the very helpful folks in the ‘Help’ section of WP…’Happiness Engineers’ they’re called…’love that! imagine a conversation at a bar or party…”so, what do you do?”